Fred needs a partner

[bagman67]

So I picked up a Dimarzio FRED pickup at a reasonable price and I plan to drop it into the bridge position in the koa-topped mahogany LP body I'm expecting.  Now I just gotta partner him up with a nice neck pickup.


A couple choices I'm contemplating:


1.  Dimarzio Humbucker from Hell (obviously a good deal lower output, but I don't play out much and so don't need to worry to much about negotiating a volume drop when I switch).


2.  Roadhouse PDX90 humbucker-sized P90ish pickup.


3.  Roadhouse triple crown HB


4.  P-Rail (I love the concept, but I think they're ugly to look at).


But the point of this is to solicit ideas I haven't thought of, so if you can dissuade me from any of these with a better idea, I'd love to hear it.


Peace


Bagman

 

[Cagey]

Dimarzio's "PAF Pro" (DP151) might be a good mate for it. It's what the "Fred" evolved from, so it's just a step back while having similar characteristics. Unless you wanted a wilder jump from one pickup to the other.

 

[Tipperman]

the PAF Pro and FRED combo is excellent.

 

[Strat Avenger]

PAF Pro or Air Norton.

 

[bagman67]

It's looking PAF-Pro-ish.  Thank you all for the input!


Bagman

 

[Alfang]

Roadhouse

 

[TroubledTreble]

I have to say that I have had the PAF Pro paired with a Fred and it was a great combo. I think those would work very well together.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Roadhouse

Plus 1.  I have a Triple Crown in the neck of one of my guitars, friggin' awesome.
Patrick

 

[swarfrat]

So I picked up a Dimarzio FRED pickup at a reasonable price and I plan to drop it into the bridge position in the koa-topped mahogany LP body I'm expecting.  Now I just gotta partner him up with a nice neck pickup.

A couple choices I'm contemplating:

2.  Roadhouse PDX90 humbucker-sized P90ish pickup.
4.  P-Rail (I love the concept, but I think they're ugly to look at).

My choices - IMO humbuckers have but one purpose in life. Crunch. They suck clean, and mush on the neck when distorted - ergo - I don't have a lot of use for a neck humbucker.

 

[Cagey]

IMO humbuckers have but one purpose in life. Crunch. They suck clean, and mush on the neck when distorted - ergo - I don't have a lot of use for a neck humbucker. 

Everything has a voice. What you do with it is the trick. You can recognize some surprisingly subtle nuances.

Watch cartoons. The choices for audio talent are not made lightly.

That said, I sorta agree with you. The neck position is ruled by single coils, or pickups designed to behave as such. There's just too much there that 'buckers throw away. Although, I have heard some mighty fine things come out of 'buckers in that spot. Tough to beat a traditional design humbucker in the bridge spot, though. Single coils in that position are just way too harsh no matter what you do. That's why I've always like the Hot Rails parts for the bridge. Best of all worlds when you wanna raise hell. Articulate, bitchy and loud all at the same time.

 

[bagman67]

Articulate, bitchy and loud all at the same time.

Sounds like my ex.  Except for the "articulate" part.

 

[bagman67]

Late entrant:  Harmonic Design Z90, anyone?

 

[Cagey]

Well, their site is fulla endorsements, and they use a helluva lotta .50 cent adjectives. You hardly ever see that kinda thing from a pickup manufacturer...

It's $100. For a single coil pickup, with all that implies. I'm skeptical. But then, I always am until I have something that at least resembles facts. After I have that, then some testing is in order.

Since there's no way to know how something is going to sound in YOUR guitar with YOU playing, it's a crap-shoot. Does it have any resale value? Are there any completed sales on eBay? If so, that'll tell you your risk.

 

[Alfang]

Yo Ken, thats like the president of Pepsi claiming that he loves Coke,

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Yo Ken, thats like the president of Pepsi claiming that he loves Coke,

He only said they work well together.  Not something like, "Coke is better than Pepsi," just that, "it is a beverage that is a cola."
Patrick

 

[bagman67]

Well, their site is fulla endorsements, and they use a helluva lotta .50 cent adjectives. You hardly ever see that kinda thing from a pickup manufacturer...

It's $100. For a single coil pickup, with all that implies. I'm skeptical. But then, I always am until I have something that at least resembles facts. After I have that, then some testing is in order.

Since there's no way to know how something is going to sound in YOUR guitar with YOU playing, it's a crap-shoot. Does it have any resale value? Are there any completed sales on eBay? If so, that'll tell you your risk.

Valuable insights, Cagey.  I do happen to have and really like a record on which the endorser acknowledges the pickup's frequent presence (Bill Frisell, "Good Dog, Happy Man"), and I like the sounds Mr. Frisell gets.  That said, Bill Frisell also processes the holy hell out of his signal, so who knows how much is due to the pickup, and how much is between the pickup and my ears.  Beyond that, well, HD is not as widely deployed as Dimarzio, so I don't have that much to go on.  Such is the nature of the boutique winder.


In any case, the locals here have tended to favor the Dimarzio PAF Pro as a good match for the Fred, so I'm pretty much decided in that direction anyway.


Muchas gracias, etc., etc.,


Bagman

 

[downhomerock]

i actually use a seymour duncan '59 paired with my FRED.  works out quite well.  Also, Pearly Gates work pretty well with the FRED, they just happen to cost a bit more.

PAF Pro's are a good choice though, there is a reason it is satriani's go to pup combo!